My ancestors, they hail from . . .
the redlands of Texas . . . and the marshes of Maine . . .
the plantations of Georgia . . . and the courts of Spain . . .
and from a hodgepodge of places . . . betwixt and between . . .
The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 20, 1935
Cole Springs, June. 17. -- Mr. and Mrs. B. Hickman and children, of Austin, spent the week end with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. F.F. Moore, the occasion being the natal day of Mrs. Emma Muston. Her daughters entertained in her honor Sunday, June 16, at the Muston home.
The date falling upon Father's Day seemed fitting as Mrs. Muston has been both father and mother to her family. She was left a widow by the death of her husband with seven little girls, the youngest a tiny infant. By frugality and perseverance she has reared this family, giving them both school and social advantages. She is one of the fortunate mothers who enjoy the complete devotion of her children as they are constantly planning to make life fuller and sweeter for her. A beautiful cake decorated with fifty three candles, adorned the festal board, which contained an abundance of choice viands.
The children attending were:
- Mrs. Emma Rodgers and children, Audrey, Charlie and Eleane, and
- Mr. and Mrs. Jake Pounder and children,
- Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Jones and baby, of Pleasant Hill,
- Mr. and Mrs. Dean Quinney and children,
- Mr. and Mrs. Bernice Taylor and family, of Lexington, and
- Miss Gladys Muston.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Beynolds of Houston were unable to attend.
Mrs. Muston's mother, Mrs. M.A. Nettles, a brother, J.A. Nettles, wife and daughter, Carrie Belle of Lexington, and Mr. John Taylor were the other guests who attended.
Tanglewood. Oct. 31. . . . Our community was saddened Friday by the news of the death of Chas. Mustin, a former resident of this community, and at the time of his death was living near Bay City. Frank Mustin, his brother, left Friday to be at the funeral. The sorrowing ones have the depest sympathy of this entire community.
As Emma made a final check through the rural Lee County cabin, Charlie was busy hitching up the team (Jack the mule and Bill the horse) for the trip south. Emma had been born in Lee County in 1882, and was not quite eight years old when her Father died there in 1890. This attempt at a new life was probably the first time Emma had traveled this far from her widowed Mother. Charlie was hoping to find gainful employment in the road construction business to help support his ever-expanding family.
Family friends who had already made the trip, and were living and working in Wharton County, included Jim and Polly Hooper, Charlie and Carrie Jensen, and Delbert and Allie Rodgers and their daughter.
Emma and her girls set up housekeeping in a wood-frame house in the community of Taiton (on State Highway 71 eighteen miles northwest of Wharton in northwestern Wharton County). On the first day of September in 1915, Emma gave birth to her seventh baby girl.
Less than two months later, on the 28th day of October, Charlie died unexpectedly -- of "pernicious malaria, comatose form" (as per his death certificate). Charlie was buried in the Nada community (on State Highway 71 in southern Colorado County, just north of Taiton). Charlie's final resting place was an unmarked grave just outside the grounds of a local church cemetery. Because he was not a member of said church, his burial was not allowed inside the "consecrated" grounds, hence, he was buried (in a pauper's grave?) somewhere in the perimeter outside the official cemetery grounds.
The Rockdale Reporter
Thursday, October 19, 1950
Roberta Mae Henry
Becomes Bride of
Forrest L. Pounders
A marriage of interest to a wide circle of friends here is that of Miss Roberta Mae Henry and Forrest Lee Pounders, both of Rockdale. The ceremony took place Tuesday, October 10, at 6:45 o'clock in the evening at the First Methodist church in Freeport, with the Rev. Houser reading the double ring service.
The bride chose for her wedding a suit of royal blue gabardine with which she wore gray accessories. In keeping with tradition she also wore something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
Attending the couple were Miss Georgia Faye Henry and Robert Henry, cousin and brother of the bride.
Immediately following the ceremony the couple left for Galveston where they spent a brief honeymoon and later went to Houston to visit with relatives of the groom.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. Robert E. Henry of Sinton. She has made her home here with her grandparents, Mrs. Edgar Henry, and the late Mr. Henry. She graduated from Rockdale High School in 1949 and during her high school career she was popular and took part in all activities of the school. Since finishiing she has been employed in the local office of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.
The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Pounders. After finishing from Rockdale High School in 1945 he entered the U.S. Army where he remained for some time, seeing service in Japan. He is employed at the Fred Pounders Service Station.
Mr. and Mrs. Pounders will continue to make their home in Rockdale.
Spruce Pine, Alabama -- 28 April 1930. Mrs. Minnie Fretwell. Dear granddaughter and family how are you all by now fine I hope we are all as well as common hope those few lines will find you all the same well you ask me if Ruff and wife lived with me yes they live with me, well I sure did hate to here of Odell's death but that is something that we all half to do some day I thank sometimes it will be me next well I have 12 little chickes one hen setting will hatch in a few days, Minnie wish you would come to see me I would like to see a lot of my kindred once more in life I am getting pretty old not got long here on earth now, Ruff has got corn up he hasent planted any cotton yet it is so dry my garden looks very well for the weather to be so dry well I will close as I can't think of anything worth writing so ans real soon and all the news as ever your grandma N V POUNDERS
- Berta Mary Sharp, and her mother, Nellie Lemaire
- Elizabeth Marilla Smith, and her mother, Eva May Brackett
- Ima Lois Muston, and her mother, Emma Patience Nettles
- Jerusha Marilla Barker, and her mother, Jerusha Lakin Hobbs
- Josephine Wingfield Davis, and her mother, America James Fears
- Mahala Lee Roberts, and her mother, Patsy Gill
- Mary Alexandrien Lemaire, and her mother, Elizabeth Waring
- Mary Annie West, and her mother, Sarah Mildred Carter
- Mollie Olive, and her mother, Clementine Jordan
- Nancy Virilla Quinn, and her mother, Sushannah
- Phoebe Merrill, and her mother, Olive Jane Goodwin
The above family poem was composed by BeNotForgot back in 2009 in response to a challenge posted at Genea-Musings: Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Poetry and Genealogy . . . and the Wordle (name cloud) was created at wordle.net . . .
This was originally published in August of 2009 . . . for another one of those nights of genealogy fun with Randy . . . I thought it appropriate to recycle it for use on a Sentimental Sunday . . . in memory of my grandparents . . .
I went to the barbecue in Lexington last Saturday was two weeks ago. There was a good many people there but we came home and went to Prospect to preaching that night. It is four miles. There was five joined that night and among them was Mollie Nettles used to be Mollie West.
- Mrs. Nona Moore of Cole Springs
- Will Nettles of Cole Springs
- Mrs. Beulah Bryant of Houston
- Mrs. Emma Muston of Lexington
- Mrs. Velma Peebles of Houston
- Joe Nettles of Lott
The last named was her constant attendant after moving to Lott, and truly a grand-daughter could have been no sweeter to her own grandmother than Annie Lou was to Grandma, who lovingly called her my girl. Present also was Mrs. Richard Mundine Sr. of Taylor, an old friend of the family.
- Mr. and Mrs. Ed Phillips
- Dr. and Mrs. Patton
- Mr. and Mrs. Luther Reaves and daughter, Dorothy
- Mrs. Claud Day
- Mrs. Grover Stucky
- D. Watkins
- Judge Smith
- Pat Carter and son, Pat Jr.
- Dewey Wright
- Miss Annie Lou Gibbs
FYI . . . the background image is a free blogger template . . . the Centennial banner is scanned from a 1936 Centennial newsletter in my private collection . . . the postage stamps were issued in 1936 (Centennial) and 1945 (statehood) . . . the postcard caption for the lighted night scene says . . . The lagoon and fountain at night, Texas Centennial Exposition, Dallas . . . the back of the same card says . . . The Lagoon and Fountain at Night, all artificially built, with its ever-changing colors and reflections, shows what can be accomplished by mere man with just a little effort. . . . the card was printed by the Dallas Post Card Co., Dallas, Texas . . .
The vintage Christmas penny postcard highlighted in this collage was sent / given to my paternal grandpa -- Master Jake Pounders, Beaumont, Texas -- by his Uncle Ed. 
On the 27th day of November in the year 1860 . . . Mollie's Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill were observing the 26th anniversary of the date when a then 20-year-old Mary became the bride of a 33-year-old widower by the name of William Noel Valentine (aka Uncle Bill) . . .
- 1852 Birth of Mollie
- Mollie's Rememberings
- 1864 Battle of Okolona
- 1864 Diary of Belle Edmondson
- Letters to Aunt Amanda
- 1871 Wedding of Mollie & Joseph
- Britton Valentine, who is a brother of Uncle Bill, and who was married to Matilda West, a sister of Mollie's father
